YAMAHA COMMERICAL AUDIO SYSTEMS, INC. NAMES NEXO MANUFACTURER'S REPS

BUENA PARK, Calif.â”€Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) has announced a change in its distribution strategy regarding NEXO speaker products. The company will name Manufacturerâ€™s Representative firms in specific geographical market areas to sell NEXO products. The company will continue with its â€œfactory directâ€? sales force to approach to represent Yamaha Commercial Audio and NEXO products. "While we respect the various Manufacturer â€œRepâ€? companies in the marketplace, we believe this factory direct approach is best for our business model," states Larry Italia, Vice President/General Manager, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. "That said, we are constantly evaluating our strategies and the evolving marketplace and look to do whatever it takes to improve our dealers' ability to succeed with all of our products."

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems District Managers will continue to sell NEXO alongside, and in close coordination with, the Manufacturer Representatives that YCAS selects. While Italia notes that the company has been quite successful in its sales efforts of NEXO and has been consistently growing the NEXO brand in the U.S. and Canada, the company is looking to increase its focus on the speaker product lines. As previously announced, Yamaha Corporation of Japan is in the process of completing an acquisition of the NEXO parent company and this expansion of sales channels in the U.S. and Canada will significantly improve NEXO's market presence and service levels to North American customers.

The first of the Manufacturer Representative firms to carry NEXO will be Millar Electronics servicing Alabama, the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee. "Millar is an excellent firm with a proven track record, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with them," comments Italia.

The company is currently in discussions with other firms and where they find a good fit, they will add additional Manufacturer Representatives for NEXO. The addition of a NEXO Manufacturer Representative sales channel is for NEXO only. No Yamaha products that are sold by Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems dealers will be sold or marketed in any manner by Manufacturers Representatives. Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems and its District Managers remain the only sales and marketing channel for these products to the Commercial Audio markets in the U.S. and Canada.

About Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:
Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. offers a complete line of integrated professional audio products for the commercial recording, production, broadcast, live sound, and sound reinforcement markets. The company has a dedicated dealer network, intensive field training, and 24-7 tech support in the U.S. and Canada.